FRAGILITY
Daye Kim
United Kingdom

Sibling relationships exist at the fragile intersection of intimacy and distance. Derived from sib (kinship) and sibja (blood + « one’s own »), « sibling » embodies a paradox: they are extensions of ourselves yet wholly separate. This creates permeable boundaries where love and rivalry, cooperation and competition flow together.
Inspired by rings in « Portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées and Her Sister, » I use 3D modelling to transform this motif into extreme variations of forms that evolve and distort, mirroring sibling dynamics. Two interconnected rings create a single structure, requiring wearers to negotiate proximity and dependence.
Clear resin casting builds translucent layers where emotions accumulate: affection beneath resentment, loyalty alongside jealousy. Airbrushed colour penetrates transparent surfaces, revealing how feelings stain relationships. The material’s fragility (vulnerability to scratches and yellowing) embodies these precarious bonds.
When worn, the jewellery enforces closeness while revealing constraint. Wearers synchronise movement, acknowledge dependence. The piece becomes a lived diagram: connections that sustain yet restrict, boundaries that protect yet isolate.

Brooch « This relationship is », 2025
37.27 x 37.08 x 42.44 (W x H x D) mm / 5.5 gr
Sterling silver, Clear crystal glass resin
3D programming, airbrush colouring, and silversmithing.

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